The Revolution That Wasn't: How Digital Activism Favors Conservatives How Digital Activism Favors Conservatives

This surprising study of online political mobilization shows that money and organizational sophistication influence politics online as much as off, and casts doubt on the democratizing power of digital activism. The internet has been hailed as a leveling force that is reshaping activism. From the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street to Black Lives Matter and #MeToo, digital activism seemed cheap, fast, and open to all. Now this celebratory narrative finds itself competing with an increasingly sinister story as platforms like Facebook and Twitter―once the darlings of digital democracy―are on the defensive for their role in promoting fake news. While hashtag activism captures headlines, conservative digital activism is proving more effective on the ground. In this sharp-eyed and counterintuitive study, Jen Schradie shows how the web has become another weapon in the arsenal of the powerful. She zeroes in on workers’ rights advocacy in North Carolina and finds a case study with broad implications. North Carolina’s hard-right turn in the early 2010s should have alerted political analysts to the web’s antidemocratic potential: amid booming online organizing, one of the country’s most closely contested states elected the most conservative government in North Carolina’s history. The Revolution That Wasn’t identifies the reasons behind this previously undiagnosed digital-activism gap. Large hierarchical political organizations with professional staff can amplify their digital impact, while horizontally organized volunteer groups tend to be less effective at translating online goodwill into meaningful action. Not only does technology fail to level the playing field, it tilts it further, so that only the most sophisticated and well-funded players can compete. « The 2016 presidential election launched a public debate about the role the internet plays in civic and political life. To explain the surprise election of President Trump, a long list of culprits has been identified: Russian hacks, bots, fake news, greedy and careless social networks. While these may have played a role at the edges, something far more profound and enduring is shaping digital activism on the internet in a way that favors conservatives over progressives. The Revolution That Wasn't examines the dynamics that have given a decided edge to voices on the right. The setting is North Carolina, where from 2011-2014, the author followed the political battle over the question of whether public sector employees should have the right to unionize. She tracked 34 groups across the political spectrum to understand the role digital media played in their activism and observed a rising tide of conservative digital activism that took the state to the right, resulting in the election of the most right-wing state government in the country. Using a mix of data and first-hand reporting, Schradie explains how factors such as resources, organization, class, and ideology combine to amplify messages from the right and dampen those from the left. »-- Résumé de l'éditeur The 2016 presidential election launched a public debate about the role the internet plays in civic and political life. To explain the surprise election of President Trump, a long list of culprits has been identified: Russian hacks, bots, fake news, greedy and careless social networks. While these may have played a role at the edges, something far more profound and enduring is shaping digital activism on the internet in a way that favors conservatives over progressives. The Revolution That Wasn't examines the dynamics that have given a decided edge to voices on the right. The setting is North Carolina, where from 2011-2014, the author followed the political battle over the question of whether public sector employees should have the right to unionize. She tracked 34 groups across the political spectrum to understand the role digital media played in their activism and observed a rising tide of conservative digital activism that took the state to the right, resulting in the election of the most right-wing state government in the country. Using a mix of data and first-hand reporting, Schradie explains how factors such as resources, organization, class, and ideology combine to amplify messages from the right and dampen those from the left.-- Provided by publisher

In this counterintuitive study of digital democracy, Jen Schradie shows how the web has become another weapon in the arsenal of the powerful, and a potent weapon for conservative activists. Rather than leveling the playing field, the internet has tilted it in favor of the Right, where only the most sophisticated and well-funded players can compete.